Graduation
by Engage Fiction
Summary: At commencement, Dani reflects on her four years at the Academy and ponders what life in Starfleet may hold for her. repost
1. Leaving Indiana

**Chapter 1: Leaving Indiana**

Story #3 in the "More Than a Lifetime" series.

Author's Note: This story is the third in a series of stories that do not follow canon and should not be taken as such. The first story is "Delta Wild", the second is "Homecoming." The events in these stories occur in an alternate universe in which Chakotay's stint with the Maquis happened much earlier in his life. He is married to Kathryn Janeway, and they have a daughter. In this universe, Voyager did not combine with a crew from a Maquis ship, but instead reached the Delta Quadrant with a small loss of life and most of her crew in tact. The events of "First Contact" and "Insurrection" have already occurred in this timeline, but "Nemesis" has not.

xxx

It should've been one of the happiest days of her life. Instead, it ended up being one of the worst.

"At ease, cadets," Rear Admiral Camden instructed. The multitude of graduating cadets on the large athletic field simultaneously shifted to the 'at-ease' position. It was graduation day at Starfleet Academy. 24-year-old Danielle Janeway, along with three hundred of her classmates were about to become Starfleet ensigns. But Dani was miserable. She was about to leave her closest friends for a science post on Deep Space Nine. That wasn't the cause of her melancholy demeanor, though.

As Adm. Camden spoke, Dani searched the audience for her parents. Chakotay and Kathryn Janeway were seated in the alumni section along with the other Starfleet parents. Dani allowed herself a little smile. Her parents were the picture of pride, both of them beaming.

Dani's eyes wondered over the crowd, and she realized that _he_ was here, as well. She hadn't expected him to be there. Her eyes fell to the grass as she remembered times when they'd been happier, like when she'd moved into her residence hall. He'd been there, then. She remembered that day very well...

xxx

Dani slipped her last data PADD into her suitcase and shut it. "I guess that's everything," she said. "I hope that's everything."

"Dani, the transport will be here any minute, now," her mother called from somewhere in the house. "Are you almost ready?"

"Just about," the 20-year-old called in reply. As she stood going over the imaginary list in her head, she didn't notice her father approach the bedroom doorway.

"Don't worry; you've got everything," Chakotay said.

Dani turned to the doorway to face Chakotay. "I know," she said.

"Besides, if you arrive and you realize that you are missing something, we can always send it to you," Chakotay reminded his only daughter.

"Yeah." Dani brought her suitcase to an upright position.

Chakotay stepped into the room. "Are you nervous?"

"No, not really," Dani replied. "I'm excited, though."

"That's good. There's a lot to be excited about. Academy life is...unique. I suspect it's unlike anything else you'll ever experience."

"I know," Dani said.

"Dani, I just want you to know that your mother and I are very proud of you. We've always been proud of you, but especially now."

"Because I'm going to the Academy?"

"Partially. But that's not the only reason. Dani, we're proud of you for everything you've done in your life. You didn't have an ordinary childhood. You know that. You've had to mature very quickly, more so than your peers. We're just proud of you for handling it so well." He and Dani hugged each other.

"I wouldn't have gotten anywhere without you or Mom," Dani said.

"I know that there's a lot of Starfleet in our family," Chakotay began, "and that you've been around it all your life, but I don't want you to feel as if you're at all obligated to go to the Academy. Your mother and I only want you to go if it's what you want to do."

"It is, Dad," Dani said earnestly. "This is the life that I want."

Chakotay nodded. "Let's go then."

xxx

Move-in day at the Academy-probably one of the busiest days on campus. Besides move out day.

Dani walked down the hallway, looking for her assigned room number, 419.

"409, 410..." Dani said, searching the walls. Her mother and father, and Will Riker were a few paces behind her. "418, 419," Dani said. She peered through the open door. Someone, her roommate, she assumed, had obviously started moving in. Suitcases already occupied one of the two beds in the room. Dani walked over to the unclaimed one and put her suitcase on it. Her three followers did the same.

"Well, what do you think?" Kathryn asked Dani.

"It's not bad," Dani replied. "It'll just take some getting used to."

"It's nicer that what I had my freshman year," Will input.

A girl carrying a box entered and froze the instant she saw the room's new occupants. She immediately placed the box on the bed and stood at attention.

"At ease, cadet," Kathryn gently said, as the highest-ranking officer in the room. The young woman relaxed noticeably.

Dani stepped forward, offering her hand. "Hi. I'm Dani Janeway," she said.

The girl just stood there, unmoving. Dani didn't quite know what to do. The girl seemed petrified. "Um.." Dani managed.

"You're my roommate?" the girl blurted.

"Yes; Dani Janeway," Dani said, emphasizing her outstretched hand. The girl hesitantly took Dani's hand and weakly shook it. "And your name is..."

The girl realized that she had neglected to mention her name. "Oh, sorry. Emery Bell."

"Pleased to meet you, Emery," Dani said.

Emery let go of Dani's hand and just stared in amazement at the people standing before her. Legends, practically.

"Emery, this is my mother, Captain Kathryn Janeway, my father, Commander Chakotay, and Commander William Riker," Dani introduced. Emery shook hands with each of them in turn. She stepped back, awed.

"Wow..." she said. Will, Dani, Chakotay, and Kathryn all looked at each other.

"Well, it seems that you two have a lot to talk about," Chakotay said. "So, we'll let you get settled."

"Oh..."Dani trailed off, following her parents and Will out of the room and into the hallway, where she hugged her father. It was time for them to leave.

"Remember to keep your focus," Chakotay said, offering some final words of advice. "But have fun, too."

"I will," Dani said.

"And remember that we'll be there if you need anything," Kathryn reminded her. "Don't hesitate to call or send us a message."

"I will." Dani hugged and kissed her parents for what must've been the hundredth time. Chakotay and Kathryn looked at their daughter one last time before their eyes fell on Will. They then left him and Dani alone.

Will took Dani's hands into his own.

"Well, this is it," he said.

"I know," Dani said. For the past three months, Will Riker had been a staple in her life. After _Voyager_ had returned to the Alpha Quadrant, they'd embarked on a relationship that'd had a bumpy start due to some initial objections from Dani's father. But eventually, things had smoothed over and Dani and Will had been able to proceed with their relationship as any other couple would. Except Dani and Will were not any other couple. _Voyager's_ return from the Delta Quadrant had riveted the crew of the ship to celebrity status with the press. They were constantly being dogged by the media. The public had been especially fascinated by Dani. After _Voyager_ had left, Dani had been reported as missing by her family on Earth. They hadn't known that she was on _Voyager_, and a massive search had been organized in an effort to find her. Everyone had been surprised and relieved when _Voyager_ had first been contacted, and it'd been discovered that Dani had been there the whole time.

So Dani's relationship with Will had developed under the eye of the Federation News Service and other news organizations.

"These past few months have been heaven for me," Will continued. He'd been on leave for the past few months while the _Enterprise_ had undergone refits and maintenance on her systems. Now, his leave was coming to the end, as the _Enterprise_ would be embarking on its next mission in a matter of days. Boy was he ever glad he'd decided to stay on Earth instead of spending his leave somewhere else.

"Me, too," Dani said mirroring Will's statement.

"Part of me doesn't want to let you go, you know," Will admitted.

"I know. But you've got the _Enterprise_, and I've got this."

"What if I told you that I didn't want the _Enterprise_, and that all I want is you?"

Dani smiled and shook her head. "What if you told me that?"

Will nodded. "Yeah."

"I'd tell you that you were lying. The _Enterprise_ means the world to you. You've spent the bulk of your career there."

"Which is why I wouldn't mind giving it up for you."

"You've always wanted that command, Will. I find it hard to believe that you would just throw it away."

Will laughed. "Me, too. But I would. If you asked me to."

"I could never do that to you. I know your career is important to you, no matter what you tell me here and now."

"You're right - it is important. But it's starting to pale in comparison to you." With that, Will bent down and kissed Dani's lips. "I love you, Dani." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his body.

"I love you," Dani replied.

"I think it's only fair that I warn you beforehand - these first few weeks, I'm probably going to be calling you every hour."

Dani laughed. She looked up and Will with tears in her eyes, and he wiped away her them with his fingers. They hugged each other again and kissed one last time before parting ways. Dani didn't even cast a final glance and Will as she walked into her room because she knew that she wouldn't be able to let him go if she did. He looked after her as she broke away from him and walked back into her room.

Dani looked at Emery. It was different, now that her parents and Will were actually gone. She'd never really been away from both of her parents on a long-term basis before. She'd always imagined how Academy life would be and how it would feel when her parents left her, but she didn't imagine that she'd feel this way, like she didn't know what to do next.

"So," Dani began, "where are you from?"

"New York," Emery replied.

"City?" Dani asked. One of the few things about Academy life that had caused her apprehension was roommate assignments. Protocol prohibited roommate changes unless serious problems arose. The idea was to get the cadets to work out their own problems. That didn't always work.

"Yeah," Emery said in reply to Dani's question.

"I'm from-"

"Indiana," Emery said, beaming. "I know."

Dani almost asked how she knew, but then she remembered who she was. She laughed. "Yeah, I guess just about everybody knows that, don't they?"

"Yeah," Emery said.

The door chimed. Both young women looked at it. "Come in," they both said. The doors slid open and two young women walked in.

"Hi," one of them said. "My name is Elizabeth Crawley, and this is my roommate, T'Lo. We live across the hall."

T'Lo was obviously Vulcan, with the customary closely-cropped Vulcan haircut and Vulcan calm. Elizabeth was tall, taller than either Emery or Dani, with long, blonde hair that was pulled back into a neat ponytail.

"Hi," Dani said. "This is my roommate Emery Bell." Emery shook hands with the new neighbors. "I'm-"

"Dani Janeway," Elizabeth said, cutting Dani's introduction short. "I know. Oh, my gosh - we've heard so much about you."

"I can imagine so," Dani said.

"I can't believe you're living across the hall from us," Elizabeth said. The girls seemed to be somewhat in awe. Dani nodded. "So, where are you from?" she asked Elizabeth.

"London," Elizabeth replied. "You're from Indiana, I know, but it must've been amazing spending seven years on a starship."

"Yes," T'Lo agreed. "It must have been quite an experience for you."

"Yeah, wel,l it was just like being on board any other starship - only longer," Dani explained.

Just then, Emma Shale make her grand entrance into Dani's life for the first, but certainly not the last, time. She entered the room, her little entourage following at her heels. She entered and approached Dani as if she were granting her the privilege of meeting her.

"Hi," Emma said. "Emma Shale." She held her hand out to Dani in a sort of royal manner. Dani took it and shook it.

"Hi," Dani said. "Dani Janeway."

"I know," Emma said. Dani considered skipping her intro from now on. It just seemed pointless, since everyone already know her anyway. "Have you put in your request for a room change, yet?"

"I was under the impression that changes in room assignments were not permitted," Dani said.

"Only in special cases," Emma informed Dani. "_This_ is a special case."

"How so?"

"You're Dani Janeway, and I'm Emma Shale," she said. "It's only natural that we room together."

Dani looked at the others in the room. She was oblivious as to why she and Emma should be so special, but everyone else seemed to know. "Why?" Dani asked Emma.

Emma laughed a little. "Why not? I'm an admiral's daughter, and you're...well, your Dani Janeway."

"And that affords us special treatment?"

"Of course."

"I don't believe in giving or receiving special treatment when it's not warranted." Dani watched Emma's smile fall to the floor. The moment it hit was the moment all trouble between Dani and Emma began.


	2. Prep

**Chapter 2: Prep**

As Dani stood on the Academy athletic field during the graduation ceremony, she was reminded that Emma Shale hadn't been the only one who had given her a difficult time during her tenure at the Academy. There'd been a certain instructor that had given her hell...

xxx

"Way too slow, Cadet. Ten laps around the track."

That's impossible, Dani thought. She had shaved seconds off the time it'd taken her to assemble her rifle.

Dani looked up at her prep squad instructor, Commander Nimembeh.

"When I give an order, you follow it immediately. That's fifteen laps," Nimembeh ordered.

"In my uniform and boots?" Dani asked.

"Make that twenty."

Dani stood. Nimembeh had been on her back since prep squad training had begun almost two weeks ago, and she wasn't going to stand for it any longer. "No, sir," she said defiantly.

"What did you say, Cadet?"

"I said no sir," Dani repeated. "I will not comply."

"30," Nimembeh said, increasing the number of laps Dani was supposed to run. But Dani didn't move, so he increased them again. "40."

"Are you just going to stand there adding laps? If you are, then you're wasting your breath."

Nimembeh stepped up to Dani and nearly placed his eyeballs on hers. But Dani didn't even blink. The other cadets in the room watched on nervously. They all knew that their classmate was walking a thin line, openly defying an order, and it looked to them like she was about to fall off that line.

"Is that so, Cadet?" Nimembeh asked Dani. "Meet me at the track at 2400 hours, Cadet." Nimembeh stepped back and started to walk away. "If you value your prospective career in Starfleet, you'll be there."

xxx

At midnight, it was pouring down rain in San Francisco. Commander Nimembeh circled Dani like a hawk.

"I've seen plenty of your kind in my time as a prep squad instructor, Cadet," he began. "Starfleet brats flanked by the brass."

Dani stared straight ahead while Nimembeh continued. "Your mother may be a captain. Your father may be a commander. Your boyfriend may be a commander. But you know what? I don't care. I don't care who your parents are. To me, you're just another cadet." He stopped walking. He was boring a hole into the side of Dani's face. She wanted to look at him. She wanted to push him away. But she just kept staring at the nothingness in front of her. Dani was going to have to give this up. She wasn't going to win this one.

"On the ground, on my mark," Nimembeh ordered. "Since you don't want to run laps, let's see how pushups suit you. Mark!"

Without hesitation, Dani fell to the ground. Nimembeh began counting as Dani began pushing herself up. "One, two, three..."

xxx

Dani trudged into her room, wet, tired, and sore. After she'd regained feeling in her upper body, her arms had taken on the characteristics of dead weights. She looked across the dark room and her roommate, sleeping soundly in her bed, and envied her. Dani pulled the soaked jacket she'd donned in a feeble attempt to deflect the rain. She realized just how feeble the attempt had been when she found that she was wet through and through despite the jacket. She tossed the jacket to the floor, pulled of her soggy boots and socks and fell into bed, soaked and all.

xxx

The next day at lunch, Dani could hardly keep her eyes open. She may have fallen into bed soaked, but she knew she couldn't sleep in that state. She'd had to get up and change. By the time she'd actually fallen asleep, it had to have been well after 2:00 in the morning.

Emery sat down across from Dani. They were seeing each other for the first time since the night before.

"What time did you finally get in last night?" Emery asked.

"This morning," Dani corrected groggily. "I got in at about 1:30. I couldn't get to sleep until after two."

"You didn't get in until 1:30?" Emery asked. "What did he have you doing?"

"Push-ups."

"The whole time?"

Dani nodded. "Yep."

"Ouch."

"Yeah. Right now, my shoulders feel like they're about to fall off."

As if the fact that Dani was sleepy and sore weren't enough, Emma Shale and her little clique surrounded her and Emery at their table. "Damn it," Dani muttered.

Emma and Dani had had a short but colorful history during their prep squad training at the Academy. Almost from the very first day of training, Emma had found it her duty to make Dani's life a living hell. It was now the last day of training, and apparently, Emma wasn't showing any signs that she was going to let up any.

"Hello, Dani," Emma said, sweetly. As an afterthought, she added, "Emery."

Dani didn't give Emma the satisfaction of an answer. She didn't even want to look at her, but she did glance at her for a few moments before continuing her meal. Emma continued just the same.

"I, uh, I heard that Commander Nimembeh worked you pretty hard last night," Emma said. Dani continued to eat. Emery looked at Dani and then at Emma. She looked back down at her lunch and continued to eat also.

"You just love those commanders, don't you?" Emma continued. "Aren't you the naughty one? And greedy, too. You've already got one all to yourself. Do you really need another?"

At that last comment, Dani dropped her fork and looked at Emma. "Are you implying something, Cadet?" Dani asked with an air of authority.

"No," Emma said. "Not at all."

Dani picked up her fork again and was about to continue her lunch when Emma added, "Just stating the facts."

Dani stood, picked up her tray, and started to walk away from the table all in a single movement. Emery rose and followed. So did Emma. Dani slung her tray into the recycler in the wall. Emery followed suit. They turned around and found Emma.

"Look, what do you want?" Dani asked. She was getting pretty fed up with this, and she didn't exactly want to spend the next four years putting up with any of it.

"You're not going to make it, Dani," Emma said. "People who get in on the merits of their families and...friends never do."

"I took the tests the same as everyone else here," Dani said.

"That doesn't mean jack," Emma insisted. "You're going to fail, Dani, and I'm going to be here to watch when you do."

"If anyone here got in because of their family and is going to fail, it's you. I think you're the one who should be called into question here, Miss I-Should-Get-Special-Treatment-Because-My-Father's -Brass. Now when you earn something on _your_ own merit, then you step to me with a case. Until then..."

Dani watched Emma and friends walk away from her and Emery.

xxx

The remainder of Dani's first semester had gone by somewhat uneventfully. She had still suffered her occasional bouts with Emma, but nothing too serious had transpired.

Thinking back, Dani realized that not everything that happened at the Academy had been bad. She remembered that at the end of the first semester, she and a group of friends had celebrated by going camping...


	3. A Night In the Woods

**Chapter 3: A Night In the Woods**

One semester down. Things were looking up for Dani. She'd made one enemy, but had more friends than she could count. Both her mother and Will had been right about the guy situation. She practically had to beat them away with sticks. She had Will, though, and he was all she wanted. She had the feeling she had aced (or at least come away with a B) in all her classes. So did her friends, which is why they all decided to take a celebratory camping trip the night of the final final.

"You guys have got to be kidding me," Dani said. Sitting on a rock, she watched as her four companions passed around a bottle of Romulan ale. "Where'd you get that?"

"Hey," said Kyle Hicks, "I've got my resources." Dani had met Kyle through Emery. Emery and Kyle had grown up together and were close friends.

Dani watched Kyle's blonde hair reflect the light of the fire. "That's the real stuff?" Dani asked.

Kyle looked at her with green eyes. "None other."

"Do you know how much trouble you could get into if you got caught with that?" Dani wasn't scolding. Not this time. She'd developed a reputation as a mother hen, the one always warning others of hidden dangers and scolding others for wrong-doing. This time it was more of a warning.

"That's why we're not going to get caught," Kyle said removing the bottle's top and taking a large swig.

"We?" Dani said.

"We," Kyle said. He passed the ale to Svetlana Bidkana, who was sitting beside him. Svetlana was from the Ukraine. She was a classic East European beauty, at 5' 9" with short dark hair and dark eyes to match. "Don't be shy with it, girls," Kyle was saying. "There's plenty more where that came from." Kyle placed the bag he'd brought with him into plain view so that the contents were visible. Inside the bag were four more large bottles of Romulan ale, a bottle of kanaar, a bottle of Saurian brandy, and smaller bottles of whiskey.

"Damn, Kyle," Rane Skara said. "You think you brought enough?" Rane was Bajoran. She was part of the wave that had started joining Starfleet after Bajor had become a Federation member.

Lura Lopez smiled. "It's plenty." Lura had grown up in Mexico. She and Rane were roommates. Like Kyle, she had a taste for alcohol.

Kyle started to pass out the various liquors. He looked at Dani. "What's your pleasure?"

"Got any water?" Dani asked.

"Water? How are you going to get drunk with that?"

"Well, I know this may come as a total shock to some of you, but I'm not out here to get drunk." The other four cadets looked at Dani as if she were crazy. "I just came out here to relax."

Kyle nodded. "Well," he said. "In that case, I suggest you have the kanaar." He handed the bottle of green liquid to Dani."

Dani looked at it for a few seconds. "Anybody got any glasses?"

"Oh, come on Dani!" Kyle exclaimed.

"Okay...what about cups?"

"Just swig it, for Pete's sake!"

Dani looked down at the bottle of kanaar in her hands. She uncapped it and apprehensively placed the bottle's opening to her lips, as her companions began to chant 'Dani, Dani, Dani.' Without another thought, she tilted the bottle and let a significant amount of the liquid flow into her mouth. She instantly regretted it. It was horrid.

As soon as the stuff was down her throat, she said, "Oh my God, that's horrible!"

Kyle smiled. "It's an acquired taste."

"Ugh, who would want to learn to like that?" Dani asked, trying her best to forget the taste of the kanaar.

"Cardassians," Kyle dead panned, as he received the bottle of kanaar from Dani. He took a drink from it and reached into the bag again. As he pulled out another bottle, he said, "Try this one." He handed it to Dani and told her it was Saurian brandy. "You'll probably find it more to your liking."

Dani uncapped it and took a sip. She found that it was remarkably better than the kanaar. "Thanks," she said.

"So, what's in store for you for the winter break?" Kyle asked.

"Nothing spectacular," Dani revealed. "Going back to Indiana to spend Christmas and New Year's with my parents."

"Are you going to see Will?" Svetlana inquired.

"No. The _Enterprise_ won't be anywhere near this system."

"You can't go see him?" Rane asked.

"I don't think so."

"You two seem really serious," Lura said.

"I guess we are," Dani said. "So many people said it would never get this far."

"Are you getting married?" Svetlana asked.

"No, we're not _that_ serious, yet."

"How long have you been dating?" Lura asked.

"Five and a half months."

"That's a long freakin' time to be with one person," Kyle said. "Especially for a guy like Commander Riker."

"I think you've had enough to drink, Kyle," Rane said warningly.

"He's not like that," Dani said in response to Kyle's remark.

"How do you know?" Kyle pressed.

"I know."

"Are you with him 24/7?"

"Kyle," Rane said in a warning tone. She sounded like a teacher talking to a student.

Kyle continued despite Rane's tone. "You're not even with him every week."

"Kyle!" Rane boomed. She looked at Dani apologetically. "Don't pay any attention to him Dani. He's obviously drunk already."

Dani acknowledged Rane, but took her statement to be untrue. Dani knew that Kyle wasn't drunk, yet. He knew what he was saying.

Xxx

"You know, Kyle didn't mean what he said tonight about Will," Rane said quietly to Dani, who lay next to her in the tent they shared. Rane was worried that Dani's feelings had been hurt, or that her ego had been bruised, by Kyle's words. She fluffed her pillow a few times as she prepared for bed.

"Yes he did," Dani said, facing the wall of the tent with her back to Rane.

"Dani, he was drunk."

"No. He wasn't drunk. He wasn't completely sober, but he knew what he was saying."

"Dani-"

"He was just saying what everyone else was thinking."

Rane sat up on her elbow, and Dani continued. She finally rolled over to face Rane. "It isn't as if I don't trust him. I already know his history, and I'm well aware of his reputation," Dani said.

"Aren't you afraid that he will cheat?"

Dani sat all the way up and leaned back on the palms of her hands. "When we first got together, Will told me that he would never intentionally hurt me. I believed him. I still do." She looked at Rane. "If we don't have trust, Rane, it won't work, regardless of how strongly we may feel for each other."

Rane laid back down in her sleeping bag. "Well, long-distance relationships are difficult, no matter who the couple is. No matter how much you trust or love each other, it's a strain."

Dani laid back down, as well, taking in what Rane had just said. It was true. Long distance relationships were difficult to maintain. Though she had communicated with him via subspace, she hadn't seen him in person in a little over four months. Despite the communications, she sensed a gap forming between her and Will that couldn't be bridged by a subspace channel, and suddenly, she was the one who was having doubts about their relationship.

xxx

The next morning, the campers woke up with headaches all around. Even Dani's head was humming just a little, even though she'd only had half a bottle of Saurian brandy. If that stuff did it for her, she could only imagine what her companions' heads must feel like. The early morning sunlight must hurt, even.

As Dani and Rane packed away their tent and other belongings, Dani thought about the conversation she'd had with the Bajoran woman the night before, as they were drifting off to sleep. She watched as Kyle picked up the numerous empty liquor bottles that littered the campsite. They had done some serious drinking last night. The bottles were all empty. Someone had even finished up the Saurian brandy that Dani had been unable to finish off.

Kyle approached Dani with an armful of empty bottles. "Dani? I just wanted to apologize for what I said last night," he said. "I just-"

Dani waved his apology off. "No. Don't worry about it. You were well within your rights to say what you said, and the questions weren't exactly unwarranted. You're a good friend, Kyle. I know what you were trying to say."

Kyle nodded, glad that things hadn't gone sour between him and Dani, and the group continued to pack.

xxx

Dani looked up into the bleachers. Will was looking right at her, it seemed, although there was no way she could see his face clearly from where she was standing. But she didn't have to see him looking at her to know that he was. She could feel it. Dani's heart ached, because she still loved him. She remembered that even though she hadn't been able to see Will during the winter break, she had been able to see him during the spring break. And what a spring break it had been...


	4. Encounter

**Chapter 4: Encounter**

Dani stood in one of the Academy's many shuttlebays, anxiously awaiting the arrival of Will's transport. He was taking shore leave and was going to spend the entire week with Dani. They had planned it that way. Will would take his shore leave the same week as the Academy's spring break.

"Incoming transport," a technician said. Dani looked at him and then at the portion of the sky visible through through the shuttlebay's large doors. A shuttle transport was coming in for a landing.. She hoped this was Will's. She looked around at the others waiting at the station. Obviously, they were thinking the same things, only about their own loved ones.

The shuttle entered the bay and hovered above the ground for a few moments before finally settling. After a few more seconds, the doors rose and people began filing out of the transport. Immediately, people began to greet their loved ones. After about five minutes, Will stepped out. As soon as he was clear of the vehicle, Dani ran up to him jumped on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. The act attracted stares, but she didn't care. She kissed him.

"Hi," she said.

Will blinked a few times, surprised by her jumping him. He smiled. "Hello," he said.

xxx

"So, where are we going?" Dani asked. She and Will were on their way to their spring break destination, but Dani didn't know where they were going. Will had wanted to keep it a surprise.

"You'll see," Will said.

"Why can't you just tell me now?" Dani begged. They'd only left the Academy's shuttle bay 15 minutes before, but Dani just couldn't wait. She just had to know where they were going. "I can act surprised when we get there." She smiled at him hopefully. He looked at her. He wasn't going to tell her where they were going. "Well, you could at least tell me how long it will take to get there," Dani pried.

"Not long at all," Will said. "In fact, we're there now."

"Already? But we just left the station." Dani sat up and looked out the shuttle's viewports. "We're still on Earth." She looked at Will. "Aren't we?"

"Yep."

Dani was thoroughly confused.

"Dani - welcome to Alaska."

xxx

Dani and Will entered the modest two-story ranch-style house in Valdez, Alaska.

"I wish you had told me we were coming here," Dani said as Will closed the door behind them. "I thought we were going to Risa."

"Whatever gave you that idea?" Will asked.

"Well, you like Risa. It's one of your favorite vacation spots."

"I also like Alaska. It's my home."

"I didn't even bring any warm clothes."

"That's alright," Will said. "There are replicators here."

"That's okay." Dani let go of her bag and wrapped her arms around Will's neck. "We probably won't be going out that much, anyway."

Will looked as if she'd told him they were having grass for dinner.

"What's the matter?" Dani asked him.

"I wanted to show you the area, do a little exploring," Will told her. The last thing he wanted to do was sit around the house for the week. It'd been a while since he'd last been here. He wanted to get out and do things. Then he realized that Dani might have been having a rough semester, so he reconsidered. "But I understand if you just want to lay low for the week and relax."

"Relax?" Dani asked. She almost laughed aloud. "Of course I do. And I wanted to have fun, too. Just a different kind of fun than you're talking about."

Will was confused. He looked into Dani's eyes and saw a familiar gleam. But it wasn't a look that he had ever seen in Dani's dark eyes before. Realization dawned.

"Are-" Will swallowed. "Are you sure? I mean, are you ready? Are you sure you're ready?"

Dani noted that he seemed a bit flustered. "Are you?" she asked him coolly. She'd caught him off-guard, a feat few could brag about. Good, she thought.

"Um," Will chuckled. "You know, once you do this, you won't be able to take it back."

"Why are you stalling?"

"I'm not stalling-"

"Then kiss me." And he did.

Dani was a wild woman. Eager seemed to be an understatement. If it'd been left up to her, she would have had him right there by the front door.

"The bedroom's upstairs," Will said between kisses.

"Oh?" Dani said, also between kisses. "Really. And?"

"Well, you don't want to do this here, do you?" Will asked.

"Any reason why I shouldn't?" Dani asked looking up at him.

Will couldn't believe she was serious. Dani was ready and willing to lose her virginity on the floor in front of the front door. But Will wouldn't have it. He wanted this to be special for Dani - not some passing encounter on a floor.

Dani recognized Will's look of hesitation and responded by hopping onto him, wrapping herself around his body and taking him, yet again, by surprise. She kissed him again. "I'm yours," she whispered into his ear. He kissed her and proceeded up the stairs with her wrapped about him.

xxx

Later that night, Dani and Will cuddled with hot chocolate on the bedroom floor in front of the fireplace. Wrapped in blankets, she donned one of his pajama shirts, and he sported the pants.

"How are classes this semester?" Will asked.

Dani took a sip of the hot, dark liquid before answering. "They're okay. Good."

"Good. Is Nimembeh still on your case?"

"Yes." Dani made a face of pure contempt. "And the thing is I don't know why. I work my ass off, and it's not good enough. I'm convinced he's made it his personal goal to stay on my case."

"You should consider it an honor," Will said before bringing his mug to his lips to blow small, cooling jets of air on the hot liquid. He honestly couldn't figure out how Dani was managing to drink the stuff right away. It was still steaming hot.

"An honor? Doing push-ups in the pouring rain?"

"Nimembeh turns out some of the best officers the fleet has ever seen. He's not doing it because he hates you; he's doing it because he wants you to make it."

"Well he sure does have a funny way of showing it," Dani said, instantly resenting the tough-love treatment she'd been receiving from Nimembeh.

"It's his way, and it seems to work. You'll thank him later. Talk to your father, or to Harry Kim. Besides that, though, everything's fine?"

Dani nodded. "Pretty much."

"Is that Emma girl still giving you problems?" Will asked.

"Yes. I've just learned to look at that as an annoyance, rather than a problem, though."

Will nodded and sipped on the hot chocolate for the first time. He winced internally as the liquid touched his tongue. It was still just a bit hot for his taste. "So, any boyfriends on the side?" he asked.

"Too many," Dani joked. "Enough talk about me, though. What's been up with you?"

"Nothing much. Nothing quite as exciting as what you've experienced at Starfleet Academy."

"That's impossible," Dani said. He was trying to make his time away seem uninteresting when she knew that wasn't the case. "There's never a boring moment on the _Enterprise_."

"That's a lie."

"No, I don't think so. It's just that you all have become so used to emergency that it's become routine, and therefore, boring."

"Oh, is that it?"

"Yes."

Will nodded. He looked into Dani's brown eyes and realized once again how immensely he had missed her. "Dani, how would you feel about coming back to the _Enterprise_ with me for the summer?" he asked.

"I'd love to," Dani said. "You know that, but it's not very likely."

"Why not? It's never been any less likely to happen than any other thing before." Will recalled the times when Dani was younger and had spent a few summers onboard the _Enterprise_.

"Will, I'm a cadet," Dani said, as if that would explain everything.

"We've had cadets on the _Enterprise_ before," Will said. "They're there all the time."

"This would be different. Those cadets are usually there getting their field training. They're assigned there."

"I could pull a few strings-"

"No - no favors," Dani objected. "If that's one thing I've learned from Nimembeh, it's that. I shouldn't get special privileges just because of my familial connections. I don't want to be treated any differently than any other cadet." People already thought she was at the Academy on a free ride. She didn't need any more fuel for that fire.

Will nodded. He completely understood that sentiment. "Fine, then-you can come as my guest," he said.

"Will, Captain Picard doesn't like for his ship to be used as a hotel," Dani reminded him.

"Since when did housing families become a crime?"

"I'm not family, remember? I'm not related to anyone onboard the Enterprise."

Will was silent. "Maybe we should do something to change that." Dani looked at Will. A slow, bitter-sweet smile broke out across her face. She knew a marriage proposal when she heard one. She pulled a strand of brown hair behind her ear as she collected her thoughts.

"I'm not ready, Will," she said. "I just don't want to jump into anything. Marriage is a big, huge thing. I don't want to get married until after I graduate from the Academy, at the earliest." Dani stroked Will's face and kissed him. "We will get married, though, if you'll still have me."

"You know I'll wait for you," Will said. Dani smiled as she moved in to kiss him again.


	5. Summertime

**Chapter 5: Summertime**

Standing on the Academy's athletic field, Dani smiled inwardly. She would have smiled outwardly, had she not been in the middle of a graduation ceremony. Her eyes darted over to Adm. Cambden. He was still droning on about the Academy and Starfleet in general.

Dani, in the meantime, drifted back to the summer after her freshman year at the Academy. She had ended up going to the _Enterprise_ with Will that year. It had turned out that her field training assignment had, in fact, led her there, not without a little help from her parents, Will, and others, Dani suspected.

xxx

When Dani materialized on the transporter pad in one of the _Enterprise's_ transporter rooms, Will was waiting for her.

"Permission to come aboard, sir," Dani said, keeping with protocol.

"Get off that transporter pad and come over here," Will ordered with a smile.

A smile formed on Dani's own face as she stepped off the pad and walked over to Will. She wrapped her free arm around his neck and gave him a kiss and a hug, which earned an amused look from the transporter technician.

Dani hesitated to show any additional affection. Will picked up on her discomfort and asked the tech to give him and the cadet a moment. The tech complied and promptly left the transporter room.

"Does anyone know I'm supposed to be coming here?" Dani asked, regarding her stay on the _Enterprise_.

"Everyone knows," Will replied.

"The captain?"

"He was the first," Will said. "Come on; I'll show you to your quarters."

Will and Dani left the transporter room. The transporter tech who had beamed Dani aboard was waiting dutifully outside the door. Riker nodded to him, giving him permission to re-enter, as he and Dani left.

Dani and Will continued with the conversation they had been having in the transporter room.

"You can't possibly believe that Captain Picard initially agreed to this," Dani said.

"Why wouldn't he?" Will asked. "You're currently ranked #1 in your class. You've got oodles of experience. And you're going to make someone, hopefully him, an excellent officer in a few years."

"And the fact that you wanted me onboard with you had absolutely nothing to do with it?"

"Just what are you implying, Cadet?" Will asked in a mock command tone.

"Nothing," Dani responded. "Nothing at all." She and Will rounded a corner and stepped into a waiting turbolift.

xxx

"Welcome to your home for the next three months," Will said, presenting Dani's quarters to her. She stepped in. The room was considerably larger than her room back at the Academy. It was one large room with areas sectioned off for the beds, dining table, and sitting area.

Beds. Bunked beds. That meant she'd be sharing the room with someone.

When Will saw Dani's eyes wander over the beds, he knew that she'd figured out that she'd have a roommate, so he answered the question that he knew was going to come out of her mouth next.

"Emma Shale," Will said.

"What?!" Dani shrieked, turning to face Will. "She's my roommate?" Will merely nodded. Dani shook her head. "No. Not in a million years."

"Dani-"

"You know the hell I've been through with her. Why in the world are we being assigned to the same quarters?"

"Well-"

"Why is she even here?"

"She's second in your class. If we take number one, we're obligated to take number two as well. And you are the one who said you didn't want special treatment. This is standard procedure."

"Well, is it also 'standard procedure' that we room together?"

"Actually, yes - it is."

"That's it. I didn't think it was possible, but I see now that it's destined to happen."

"What?"

"The next three months of my life are actually going to be more hellish than at the Academy."

Will was about to offer some words of solace (or at least try to) when his comm badge chirped. "Transporter room to Commander Riker."

Will tapped the badge. "Riker here."

"Sir, Cadet Shale is ready for transport, sir." Dani only offered Will a look of desperation. "I'm on my way. Riker out." He looked at Dani. "It won't be that bad, Dani."

"Yes, it will. You don't understand, Will. You've never met this girl. She's made it her life goal to bring me down."

"You said that about Nimembeh, too. Are you sure that this isn't her way of trying to make sure that you make it?" Will asked in a feeble attempt to make light of the situation.

"I'm serious. She has it out for me. You watch her."

"I will." He kissed her. "I'll see you at dinner tonight."

xxx

That night, Dani and Emma met with Will, the captain, and most of the senior bridge crew members for dinner in the Captain's Mess. Dani ended up sitting between Will and Emma.

Dani had already met these people before. When she was younger, she'd been a familiar face on the _Enterprise_-_D_. The _Enterprise_ had often served as her shuttle from one place to another, where one or both of her parents were waiting for her. As she looked around the table, she noted the absence of two notables, Worf and Wesley. Worf was now an officer on Deep Space Nine, and Wesley - well, no one quite knew the exact whereabouts of the former Ensign Crusher. He had joined a man known as The Traveler on his exploration of time, space, and reality.

"So," Captain Picard began, "How would you rate your tenures at the Academy, so far?" He looked from one cadet to the other.

Dani looked at Will. She didn't know what to say. She didn't want to lie to the captain, and tell him everything had been peachy keen, but she didn't want to lay everything all out on the table in front of everyone.

"Well-" she began, but before the entire word had even left her mouth, Emma was already talking.

"Well, Captain Picard, I think I speak for the both of us when I say that our experiences so far have been quite interesting and unique."

"Really? Wonderful!" Picard said, smiling at the cadets. "I remember my time at the Academy as a time of wonder and excitement. Absolutely exhilarating. I think that most of my colleagues here would agree. Number One?"

"Absolutely, sir," Will said. "Some of the best years of my life were at the Academy."

"Wesley seemed to be gain so much from his experiences when he was there," Beverly said. "I wish he had stayed and finished."

"Wesley's out exploring realms that human beings rarely get the opportunity to see," Captain Picard input. He looked at Dani. "You remember Ensign Crusher, don't you, Dani?"

"Of course, sir," Dani replied. "It's quite difficult to forget an individual such as he." She smiled at Dr. Crusher, who smiled back.

"How were your classes last year?" Deanna Troi asked.

"They weren't really all that difficult," Emma said.

"51.295 of first-year cadets would tend to agree with you," Data said. "As would I."

Dani still couldn't get used to the reality of Data having emotions. Right now, he was smiling genuinely at her and Emma.

"What kinds of classes are you taking?" Geordi LaForge asked. Emma replied first. "Engineering."

"Looks like you could have a future engineer on you hands, Geordi," Captain Picard said.

"And what about you, Dani," Counselor Troi asked.

"My field will be science," Dani replied.

"Cadet Janeway's being modest," Will said. "She's on her way to command school." This earned impressed looks from everyone around the table except, of course, Emma.

"Really?" Geordi said.

"Of course," Will said. "It is, after all, in her blood." He smiled at Dani, who was blushing noticeably. She was grateful that her shoulder - length hair was covering her ears because she was sure that they were beet red.

"I do have plans to attend command school," Dani confirmed.

"Hopes of taking your own command one day, Dani?" Picard asked.

"Yes, sir," Dani replied.

"She's going to beat Jim Kirk's record," Will bragged.

"You could have beaten that record, Number one," Picard said.

"Not if it meant giving up the _Enterprise_."

"They say that command school is very difficult to complete," Emma said.

"Take it from me," Picard began, "It is." He looked from Emma to Dani. "However, I believe that Cadet Janeway is more than well-equipped to successfully complete the rigorous course work required to graduate from command school."

"Thank you, Captain," Dani said casting a triumphant look at Emma.

xxx

"Did I or did I not tell you that she was out to get me?" Dani said to Will, as they returned to their respective quarters after dinner.

"Dani, how?" Will asked.

"You didn't hear her talk about command school?"

"All she said was that command school could be difficult."

"All while implying that I wouldn't make it. You can't tell me you didn't hear it in her voice."

"Okay. Yes. I admit that she did sound a bit vindictive when she was speaking."

"See?"

"But that doesn't automatically mean that she has it in for you." They stopped walking right outside Dani's quarters. Will placed his hands on Dani's arms. "Look, just try to make this work, okay?"

"I am. She's the one-"

"Dani - try. For me?" Dani nodded. Will gave her a kiss.

"Maybe I should just spend the night with you," Dani suggested.

"No, you stay here with Emma tonight." Will took Dani's hands into his. Dani wanted to protest, but it would do no good, she knew. Will kissed her hands. "I'm glad you're here with me."

"I would say I'm happy to be here, but it's not entirely true. You know why." Dani walked into her quarters.

She entered and saw that Emma had made herself quite at home. Emma had nicely dumped Dani's belongings onto the floor. The bed that the things had once occupied was now occupied by Emma's belongings - and Emma.

"I guess this means I'm supposed to sleep on the top bunk," Dani said, moving to the bunked beds and preparing to climb to the top bunk.

"No, it means you can't have either," Emma said.

Dani ignored Emma and moved to access the top bunk. Emma, who moved faster than Dani had expected, barred her from accessing the bed.

Dani sighed. "Look, I know we've had a, how did you put it, 'quite interesting and unique' history at the Academy so far, but we're not at the Academy right now. So, please - let's just try to civil about this." She tried to move around Emma again, but again, her path was blocked. "Emma!"

"Where are your brass connections, now?" Emma asked.

"Down the corridor. Now move!"

"You shouldn't be here, Dani. You don't deserve it."

"I worked for what I've got."

"Everything you have was given to you on a silver platter, while the rest of us have worked our asses off."

"You haven't worked anything, except my temper. And if I'm not mistaken, you were the one who, at move-in, was so set on convincing me that because we do happen to have 'Fleet connections, we deserve special treatment. I have no idea where your sudden change in attitude came from, but I think I like that other Emma better." Dani reached down and began picking up various belongings of hers and continued. "I've worked just as hard as anyone has," Dani argued. "Maybe even more. You think I'm privileged because of who I know? I have to work twice as hard as anyone to prove myself. If someone happens to give me a break once in a blue moon, oh no, it's got to be because of who my mother or who my father is, or damn it , because of who I am. So, don't you tell me about work, because I've done more than my fair share of it. Now, move!"

Emma reluctantly stepped out of Dani's path, and Dani climbed up to the top bunk.

xxx

Dani often found it amusing that she'd somehow found herself in the field of science, a subject she distinctly remembered hating while on Voyager. Maybe she hadn't been interested in science back then because her personality had clashed with Seven's. Or maybe her interests had simply changed as she'd grown older. But sometime between Voyager's return and the beginning of her second semester at the Academy, her interest in medicine had waned while she'd turned her attention to other types of scientific study.

Because Dani's future field was science, she would be spending a large amount of her time aboard the Enterprise with Data, which was cool with her. She always enjoyed spending time with Data. It was just that he was so...different now, but so...the same.

On day two of the cadets' stay onboard the Enterprise, after Data's shift on the bridge, he and Dani had lunch together. Dani could do little more than stare at him in wonderment as he reacted to everything with emotion.

"Dani, you are not contributing to the conversation significantly," Data said. "Am I boring you?"

"No," Dani said. "Quite the opposite, actually. I'm not used to seeing you with emotions."

"Sometimes, I, myself, do not believe that it is real, however...it is," Data said with a little smile. This caused Dani to smile, too.

"It's really amazing," she said. "I guess you finally got your wish, huh?"

"Yes. I am more human now than I have ever been in the past."

"I'm happy for you," Dani said.

If Data had emotions, that included all emotions. There had been something that Dani had been wondering about since she'd found out that Data had acquired the emotion chip.

"So, have you found anyone special, yet?" Dani asked.

"By special, you mean a lover?" Data clarified.

Dani had tried to be kind of discreet, and Data's bluntness had surprised her a little. That was one thing that had not changed because of the chip. She nodded. "Yeah."

"Not exactly," Data said.

"What do you mean?" Dani asked. That kind of vague language wasn't what she was used to hearing from Data.

Data leaned forward and lowered his voice. "I have not spoken of this with anyone before now, so I would greatly appreciate it if-"

"-If we just kept this between us?" Dani said, finishing his statement.

"Yes."

"Of course I will. Now - what's up?"

"There is a young woman in Engineering," Data began. "I do not know how to best describe the feeling I have for her. She is friendly, intelligent, and has a good sense of humor. And she is attractive. I find myself strangely drawn to her."

"Data!" Dani said. "You're in love!"

"I am? Is this what love feels like?"

"No. I didn't say that you _loved_ her; I said that you were _in love_. There's a difference."

Data furrowed his golden brows in that most familiar way. "I do not understand."

"When someone says that he or she is in love with someone, that usually means that that person has romantic feelings toward the another person. When a person loves another person - well, that's a bit more complicated and damn near impossible to explain."

"Do you love Commander Riker?" Data asked.

"Yes, I do."

"Are you in love with him?"

"Yes."

"So, it is possible to be in love with a person and love that person simultaneously?"

"Very possible indeed."

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Data and Dani looked to the new speaker, Will.

"No. Of course not," Dani said.

Will pulled up a chair and straddled it backwards, joining Dani and Data at the table. "So," he began, "how's it going?"

"Fine," Dani said.

"Everything alright with Emma?"

"I should be leaving," Data said, rising. "I have a shift in Engineering."

"Should I be there?" Dani asked, starting to rise as well.

"No," Data said. "Your presence there is not required at this time. Finish your lunch with Commander Riker."

"Thanks, Data."

Data nodded and smiled. "I will see you later." He left the table and Ten- Forward.

"I've been trying to get used to Data with emotions," Dani said.

"Yeah, I know," Will said. "He still surprises me."

"About Emma - we didn't exactly work things out last night. But I got my bed."

"Your bed?"

xxx

Dani and Data were in Engineering a few days later.

"Data, give me the readings from that scan," Dani said, studying her panel. When, after a few moments, she hadn't received the information she looked at Data.

Data hadn't seemed to hear a word Dani had said. He was looking off into space it seemed. "Data?" Dani said. He didn't answer. "Data," Dani said a little more loudly and firmly. He looked at her. She walked over to him. "What's the matter?" Data's gaze returned to the previous object of his attention. Dani followed Data's gaze to a young woman, a lieutenant, standing across the way.

"Is that her?" Dani asked him.

"Yes."

"She's cute." Dani looked at her. "Go talk to her."

"I cannot," Data said.

"Why not? She doesn't appear to be outrageously busy."

"I...she..."

"Data, are you...nervous?"

"It would appear so."

"Data, you're not going to get anywhere like this. How do you expect to build a relationship if you don't even go talk to her?" Dani moved closer to him. "Nothing can happen if she doesn't even know how you feel." Data nodded. Dani gave Data a supportive pat on the back. He walked over to the lieutenant and successfully began a conversation.

Will entered and approached Dani. He spotted Data with the lieutenant and looked quizzically at Dani. She took his arm and led him a little distance away to give Data and his 'friend' some privacy.

"Data's working on a...project," Dani said, keeping her voice low.

Will nodded. Keeping his voice low as well, he asked, "Will you be free for lunch?"

"No," Dani said regretfully. "We're still working on these scans."

"Dinner?" Will asked hopefully.

"Always. Your quarters?"

Will smiled. "Always."

"I'll be there at 2000 hours."

Will lowered his voice to a whisper. "Should I bring out the extra toothbrush for you?"

"Keep it handy."

xxx

When Will opened the door to let Dani in, he didn't even get the chance to say hello before her lips were pressed firmly against his, and her hands were on his body pulling him closer to her.

"Oh, no you don't," he said, managing to pry his lips and his body away from hers. "I actually cooked."

"Can't that wait until afterwards?" Dani asked. Before he could answer, she was kissing Will again.

"You've got it backwards," he said. "Now, come on; let's eat."

xxx

Ten minutes later, Dani and Will were well into their meal.

"It's been wonderful having you onboard the Enterprise," Will said. "I can't wait until your post here becomes permanent."

"You don't even know if I'll be assigned here," Dani said.

"Well, generally, those that do well during their field training are usually offered permanent positions once they finish at the Academy."

"I know. I just keep thinking that everyone's setting themselves up for this big disappointment. If I don't turn out the results that everyone expects of me, I feel like I'll be letting them down."

"Hey," Will reached over and covered Dani's hand with his. "No matter what happens, you'll always have my love and support."

"Thanks. You have no idea how much I'm glad to hear that. Now, could we please move on to dessert?"


	6. Training Day

**Chapter 6: Training Day**

Dani remembered when she had finally settled the score between her and Emma. It hadn't been that summer on the _Enterprise_; it had been over a year later, during her junior year at the Academy, after Dani had finished a mission training session in one of the Academy's holodeck classrooms...

xxx

22-year-old Dani Janeway checked the Tactical Eye Display of her hazard suit. Life support - good, weapons status - good. She looked down at the weapon in her hands. The Infinity Modulator, or I-MOD. She remembered when Seven of Nine had first designed it.

Obtaining the I-MOD was one of Dani's mission objectives. She'd already met that one. Her other objective was to save her crewmates. Doing that would require her to actually engage the Borg. She couldn't believe how afraid she actually was. As many times as she'd encountered the Borg in her lifetime...

She wouldn't even have to engage them if it weren't for those damned force fields, she thought. To deactivate the force field, she had to disable the warp plasma conduit powering it. And that would alert the Borg to her presence and they would start to come after her. That's where those Borg distribution nodes came in handy. A good shot in the right place would disable the node and any nearby drones.

Dani looked down at the I-MOD. Surely it wouldn't take a blast from the I- MOD to disable a conduit or node. She whipped out her phaser and fired at the nearest conduit. Sparks flew from the conduit as the force field came down. Before she could make it to the nearest distribution node, three Borg were already on her. She only got two of them with down with the phaser. By the time she got to the third one, he'd already adapted. She pointed the I-MOD at him and fired. The drone went down. Before any other drones showed up, Dani found the distribution node and fired at it with the I-MOD.

Dani looked around her. All the Borg that had been on a direct course to her position were instantaneously frozen into position before they went limp and fell to the floor. Dani passed into the corridor that had once been restricted by a force field.

Dani had absolutely no idea where she was supposed to go next. She had entered a large open area with some kind of energy conduit in the center of it. The floor wasn't complete, though. It lined the perimeter but left the area directly surrounding the conduit open. She looked down through the floor. Her holographic crewmate was being held in some type of holding cell. Dani didn't see any other particular way to get down besides jumping, so she did.

She wasn't surprised to find a drone manning a console connected to the conduit in the middle of the room.

"Am I glad to see you," the holographic prisoner said. "Get me out of here."

"I'm working on it, believe me," Dani said.

She looked at the drone working at the console. She would have to shoot it to gain access to the console. She pointed her phaser at the drone and fired. The drone went down.

Dani didn't hesitate before running over to the console. She quickly put her phaser away and started working with the console to release her crewmate. She didn't have much time, though. Drones would be flooding this place in about eight seconds. In two seconds, the cell's force field was down and the crewmate was out. In another three seconds, Dani and crew member number 1 were out of the chamber. According to her objectives, Dani still had two other crewmates to save. She and crewmate number 1 entered the hallway with three seconds to spare. It wasn't much of a window, but it was something.

As the two turned the corner, they were ambushed by the Borg. Dani, with the I-MOD, fired off rounds endlessly. She held the drones off for a while, but then more appeared. And as if the timing couldn't have been more perfect, the energy for the I-MOD ran out. Dani whipped out her compression rifle. She fired a total of three, maybe four, shots before the Borg adapted. She looked around for any help, but her comrade was gone. Dani, as a last resort, tried hand to hand combat with the drones. Within ten seconds, the drones had overtaken her, and she had been 'assimilated'.

The holographic Borg cube disappeared and was replaced by a hologrid. The doors slid open, and Commander Nimembeh walked in. Dani took off her helmet.

"What happened, Cadet?" Nimembeh asked. "You and your entire team were assimilated."

"The I-MOD ran out of energy," Dani explained. "I couldn't keep-"

"The I-MOD ran out of energy because of you, Cadet," Nimembeh interjected.

"Because of me? Every single shot I fired-"

"Was unnecessary. If you'd just disable the distribution nodes with a phaser before trying to disable the conduits, you would have had less Borg to deal with, and more saved energy for the I-MOD."

That particular course of action hadn't occurred to Dani, and now she felt royally stupid.

"If you're going to make it in command school, Cadet, you're going to have to start thinking like a command officer."

"Yes, Commander." Dani put her helmet back on, and Nimembeh walked out of the room.

Xxx

"Damn," Dani said as her holographic surroundings disappeared for the third time in the last two hours. She took off her helmet.

"You have been assimilated," the computer announced.

"Yeah, yeah," Dani said. "As many times as I've been assimilated, I should be the Borg Queen by now." She was about to give the computer the command to restart the program when doors to the holoarena opened. Emma Shale walked in. "Great," Dani muttered.

"What was that?" Emma asked, making her way to Dani. "Happy to see me?"

"I'm in the middle of a practice session, if you don't mind," Dani said. "Computer, restart the program." She moved to put her helmet back on.

"Belay that order," Emma said quickly.

Dani, still helmetless, looked at Emma. "What are you doing? Look, I don't have time to play with you. I need to get through this."

"Why don't you face it, Dani - you're just not cut out to be a command officer. If you're sinking this early in the training, there's no way you'll survive later on, when it starts getting really tough."

Dani ignored her. "Computer-"

"They say it's in your blood." Emma continued. "I don't think so. Your mother isn't any kind of real captain. Captains don't strand their ships in the Delta Quadrant. And your father - how long has he been a commander? Didn't he used to be in the Maquis way back when? He's nothing but a traitor. A wolf in sheep's wool. And what about that boyfriend of yours - how long has _he_ been a commander? Shouldn't he be a captain by now? If he were truly captain material, don't you think he'd have his own ship by now?"

Dani was using all the strength she embodied to keep herself from knocking Emma on her ass. But of course, Emma didn't know that, so Emma continued.

"I don't know which is worse - a Commander who doesn't even belong in Starfleet, a Commander who should be captain, or a captain who should be an ensign."

Dani looked at Emma. Every word that came out of that girl's mouth was bringing her closer...one step closer...

"You know," Emma said, stepping up to Dani, "it's a good thing neither of your grandfathers is alive today. They wouldn't-"

Emma didn't have a chance to finish. Dani had her on the floor before the next word was out. Emma had a bloody nose before the sentence was even formed.

All the pressure had finally gotten to Dani, and Emma had been the one who'd made her snap. Emma got one good sock in, a hit to one of Dani's eyes, but that was all. If Nimembeh hadn't come in and pulled Dani off of Emma, Emma probably wouldn't have survived.

"Cadet," Nimembeh said. Dani, who was still fuming, didn't seem to hear him. "Cadet!" Dani's head snapped to Nimembeh. "Report to your residence hall until further notice."

Dani's eyes flickered to Emma and back to Nimembeh. She walked out of the hologrid. She'd probably just ruined her Starfleet career, but she'd finally beat that bitch's ass.

Xxx

Dani reached her room just as the transmission beacon on her computer console was going off. She reached it before it could end. Seeing that it was Will, she answered quickly before he could cut the transmission.

"Hello," he sad. The look on his face when he saw Dani was priceless. "What happened to you? Your eye..."

"Nothing," Dani said. "I was in a fight."

"A real one?" Will asked. Dani nodded. Will immediately realized what had probably happened. "Emma?" he surmised.

"Emma," Dani said.

"You didn't kill her - did you?"

"No. I think I just..." A smile formed on Dani's face as she thought about the word coming out of her mouth next. "...broke her nose."

A smile began to form on Will's own face, but he quickly covered it with more appropriate emotions, like concern and disappointment.

"This is very serious, Cadet," Will said. His face was stern, Dani could see, but his eyes were not. They revealed his true feelings: happiness, pride - and love. But since he was trying to be serious, Dani removed her own smile and decided that she would try to be serious, too.

"I know it's serious," she said. "I probably just ruined my career."

"I wouldn't say it's _that_ serious," Will said. "You'll probably just get a formal reprimand and some labor chores."

"My parents won't be happy about this."

"No, I can't imagine that they would. In fact, my guess is that they're harder on you than the Academy and Nimembeh will be. Nimembeh..." said Will, remembering Dani's dilemma with him. "Does he know, yet?"

Dani felt sick to her stomach already, thinking of what Nimembeh's punishment might entail. "He's the one who pulled me off of Emma," she said gravely. A wave of panic swept through her. "You don't think they could throw me out of command school for this, do you?"

Will honestly didn't know about that one. "Well, fighting is behavior unbecoming of any officer. That goes doubly so for a command officer. I don't think they would expel you for it, though, seeing as how it is your first infraction. As long as it doesn't become a habit, I don't think you should have any problems except a possible reprimand."

Dani's comm badge beeped. "Nimembeh to Cadet Janeway."

Dani immediately answered the comm. "Janeway here, sir."

"Report to my office immediately, Cadet."

"Aye, sir."

Nimembeh closed the link. Dani looked at Will. She felt like she was about to throw up.

"Call me later so you can fill me in," Will said.

"Okay," Dani said.

"I love you," Will told her.

"Love you, too," Dani replied. "Bye."

"Riker out," he said before cutting the link.

Xxx

Dani sat in Nimembeh's office twenty minutes later.

"Cadet, you know that fighting isn't tolerated at the Academy. This is your third year. You should know better," Nimembeh reprimanded. "Would you care to explain yourself?"

"Sir, it wasn't as if I planned on getting into a fight with Cadet Shale," Dani began. "It's just that...you have no idea what she's put me through these past few years. She's tried to make my life a living hell, Commander."

"Elaborate."

"With pranks," Dani said. "By spreading lies and rumors. I've ignored it largely, because that's life. You have people who don't like to see others succeed. But today on the hologrid, I just...lost it. I don't know any other way to explain it. She started talking about my family, and-"

"It was a matter of pride."

Dani looked at Nimembeh. She couldn't believe she was talking to the same man who'd ridden her ass for the past two and a half years. He was being so understanding.

"Well, yes, sir," Dani said. "Part of it was pride. But I suppose the major reason was that I was just tired. Tired of her always in my face. Tired of trying to get through that simulation. I realize that I threw the first punch and initiated the actual fight, and I take full responsibility for it. I'm ready to accept any punishment that you deem appropriate."

Dani waited for Nimembeh to relay her inevitable punishment. Instead, he smiled.

Uh, oh, Dani thought. She'd never seen this man smile before. That must mean he's got something really good planned.

"Cadet," Nimembeh began, "I believe you're starting to think like a command officer."


	7. Thanksgiving

**Chapter 7: Thanksgiving**

Thinking back to that same year that she'd had her falling out with Emma, Dani remembered that she had been so glad when that first break of the year, Thanksgiving break, had come around. Besides the obvious reason, that she'd have a week-long break from her heavy load of course work, the time off would also afford her some time to spend with her parents.

Dani had always thought of Thanksgiving as an antiquated holiday that didn't have much meaning anymore. But both her parents had always held firm that celebrating it was about more than celebrating what some pilgrims and Native Americans did hundreds of years ago. Kathryn Janeway and Chakotay thought of it as a time for families to get together and spend some quality time with one another. When Dani had been younger, she'd scoffed at that idea. But now that she was older and away from her family, she understood the relevance of the holiday all too well and was glad her parents had decided to uphold the traditions that surrounded it.

Xxx

When Dani awoke Thanksgiving morning, the sweet aroma of dressing baking in the oven invading her nostrils. She opened her eyes. Her father must be downstairs cooking Thanksgiving dinner in the kitchen, she figured.

Dani looked at the chronometer on her bedside table. 9:32 a.m. It'd been ages since she'd slept this late on a weekday. Her usual rising time was 6:00 a.m. She sat up, happy to be home.

Chakotay's had been away on assignment last Thanksgiving, so Kathryn and Dani and gone to her aunt Pheobe's and had dinner with Kathryn's mother and Phoebe's family. This year, though, both Kathryn and Chakotay were home, and what's more, they had invited some former members of _Voyager's_ crew for dinner. It was going to be one big feast. The only person missing was Will. The _Enterprise_ wouldn't be back to Earth until December, so Will had promised to be home for Christmas.

After showering and dressing, Dani headed downstairs. As she made her way down, she heard two voices talking in the kitchen. One was her father. The other was not her mother. It was another man.

Dani walked into the kitchen. "Will?"

Will Riker turned around, a turkey baster in his hand and a wide grin on his face. "Hi," he said.

Dani walked over and kissed him. "Hi. What are you doing here?"

"Our mission was postponed, so we got an early leave," Will informed her.

Dani turned to her father, who was standing on the other side of her. "Good morning, Dad." She kissed him on the cheek.

"Good morning," Chakotay said. He was busy chopping collard greens and placing them into a pot. "Did you sleep well?"

"I always sleep well in my own bed," Dani said, smiling at her father.

"Good. Is your mother up, yet?" he asked.

"No, I don't think so. I haven't seen her."

Kathryn appeared in the kitchen doorway. "What's this?" Kathryn asked. "I'm the last one up? I must be slipping."

"Good morning," Dani, Chakotay, and Will said in unison. Dani walked over to Kathryn and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Let me finish doing that" Kathryn said, offering to take over the turkey basting for Riker. She approached him, and he handed the baster to her.

"Thanks," he said. He and Dani walked into the living room and sat down.

"When did you get here?" Dani asked him.

"Late last night," Will said. "I was going to wake you, but you were sleeping so soundly. I didn't want to disturb you."

"I wish you would've. I was dreaming about you, anyway."

Will smiled. "Were you?"

"Yeah."

"What was I doing in this dream?"

"I wouldn't feel right saying it out loud in my parents' house."

Will's blue eyes seemed to light up. "It's that bad?"

Dani nodded and smiled. "So, how long are you going to be here?"

"Only a few days. Our mission was rescheduled. The _Enterprise_ leaves orbit Saturday at noon."

Dani wanted to complain, but she knew he had no control of it, short of quitting the 'Fleet.

"I know it's not long, but we'll make every moment count," Will said. "I promise."

"It's more than enough time. I didn't think I'd get to see you at all. Now I find that I get to spend two whole days with you."

"I don't know how much of that time we'll actually get to spend alone."

"Yeah, I know - Harry, Seven, Icheb, Tom, and B'Elanna are all coming over."

"Don't forget Data," Will added.

"Data's coming?"

"He's never been to a real Thanksgiving dinner before."

Dani nodded. "That's ten. Perfect."

Xxx

"Harry, could you pass the salt, please?" Tom asked.

"Sure," Harry said. Harry picked up the salt and passed it to Tom, who was seated beside him. Both were at the Janeways' dinner table with eight other people.

"So, how did you two meet," Tom asked Dani and Will. He looked at Dani who, in turn, looked at Will.

"Actually, we've known each other for quite a while," Will said.

"Since I was a kid," Dani said.

"Really?" Tom.

"Yes," Will said.

"Well, then I suppose that the question I should be asking is how you came to be a couple."

"I'm surprised you don't already know," Dani said. "I would have thought everyone's already heard about it courtesy of the Federation News Service."

"It was after _Voyager_ returned from the Delta Quadrant," Will began. "We reunited at a reception. The rest is pretty much history."

"Wonderful," Harry said. "Any wedding plans?"

Everyone's head snapped up. Their eyes fell on Dani and Will.

"No," Dani said. "Not at the moment."

"But in the future?" Seven probed.

It was like a tennis match. Everyone's head was following the conversation as if it were a bright yellow ball.

Dani looked at Will before answering. "Well, we have talked about it, if that's what you mean." Kathryn and Chakotay both went white. Dani saw it and quickly added, "But we both agreed to wait until after I graduate from the Academy, at the very earliest." Kathryn still looked as if she would faint.

"You're getting married?" Tom asked. "Way to go, Dani!"

"This is most unexpected," Icheb said.

"You're telling me," Harry said. He'd broached the initial question, but he hadn't expected that Dani would actually be ready for marriage. Not now. He looked at her. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

"Lt. Kim has a point," Data said. "Marriage is a big commitment."

"Dani, I can't say that I agree with your decision to marry at such a young age," Chakotay said.

"I'm 22," said Dani, but it was as if no one heard her.

"I have to agree with your father on this one, Dani," Kathryn said. "This could be a mistake. I mean, you aren't...pregnant, or anything - are you?"

Dani and Will looked at each other, as everyone else at the table continued to talk about their 'engagement.'

"Excuse me," Will said. No one even knew that he was trying to speak. "Hey!" Everyone ceased talking and looked at Will. "Thank you," he said. "Now, no one, at least not Dani or I, is getting married. We said we talked about it. That's all." Everyone looked at one another and went back to enjoying their meal. Dani and Will looked at each other, amazed at how quickly that whole conversation had escalated. It was intriguing. It had given the both of them a look into everyone's train of thought concerning the course of their relationship, and it'd been very revealing.

Xxx

"I can't believe how wild dinner got this afternoon," Dani said. She and Will were sitting on the porch swing. Night had fallen, and things had settled down considerably since dinner.

"Yeah," Will said. "Who knew one little question could cause so much of an uproar?"

"I'm sure Harry didn't mean any harm by asking," Dani assured him.

"No," Will said, agreeing with Dani. He pulled Dani closer.

A gentle breeze blew through. Dani pulled the thick blanket draped over her and Will closer.

Xxx

Data, Harry, and Tom observed Dani and Will from inside.

"Out of all the people I imagined Dani ending up with, Will Riker was the last person on that list," Harry said.

"Last?" Tom asked. "He wasn't even on my list."

"I, too, was surprised by the coupling at first," Data said. "However, after observing them together and considering their history together, I have come to find that they are quite well-suited for each other."

"I never meant that they didn't make a good couple," Harry said. "He just seems a bit..." He searched for the appropriate term.

Tom didn't bother with searching for 'appropriate terms.' He completed Harry's statement for him. "Old?" he said.

Harry looked at Data. "No," he said. 'Old' didn't quite fit. "It isn't exactly that. I mean there is an obvious age difference, but that's not really it. It's just..."

Tom took a sip of his glass of water and tried guessing again. "He's a bit of a player in the relationship game."

Harry and Data looked at each other and nodded. Tom had hit the nail exactly on the head.

"I just wouldn't want her to get hurt, you know?" Harry said.

"Lieutenant," Data began, "may I remind you that the commander and Dani have been in a monogamous relationship for over two years."

"Data's right," Tom said. "Besides, anyone can change." Tom was a living testament to that statement. He'd first boarded _Voyager_ an irresponsible, womanizing ex-con. When he'd disembarked for the final time, he'd been a responsible family man with a wife and kid.

The three of them once again returned their gazes to the couple sitting on the porch.


	8. Breakdown

**Chapter 8: Breakdown**

Dani stood on the Academy green during the graduation ceremony remembering that Thanksgiving when Will had surprised her by showing up. Her mother had told her of a conversation between Tom, Harry, and Data that she'd overheard. That entire ordeal had made her smile. They had been the good memories. As she remembered the last year of her Academy stay, though, thoughts turned to less pleasant memories. It was somewhat ironic that Tom, Harry, and Data had been worried about infidelity. It was ironic because it had actually become an issue in Dani and Will's relationship, only Will hadn't been the one who'd stood accused - he'd been the accuser.

Xxx

Dani discreetly pulled at the collar of her dress uniform. She'd only had to wear it on a few earlier occasions, and every time, she'd hated it, just as she hated it this time. The were unflattering, ugly, and impossible to keep clean. Dani looked at her friend Rane Skara. She seemed right at home in her uniform.

"At least they aren't those horrid dress things people had to wear before the design changed," the Bajoran said, referring to the earlier style of the dress uniforms. Dani had to at least be thankful that they hadn't had to wear those. Still, though, she contemplated just how much better off she was in what she was wearing now. It was different from the earlier style, but just as ugly. And now she looked like a waiter, too.

Dani plucked a glass of ginger ale from a passing waiter's tray. "I don't understand why this has to be so formal anyway," Dani said. "This is supposed to be a celebration, isn't it?"

"This is a celebration," Kyle Hicks said, joining Dani and Rane's conversation. "This is how they celebrate." He pointed to a group of Academy professors and Starfleet brass who were standing together talking across the crowded room.

Kyle took a swig of his ginger ale and frowned. "But it's definitely not how I celebrate," he said, looking dejectedly at the non-alcoholic beverage. He handed it off to a nearby waiter.

"Guys, we only have one more day to go. Tomorrow we graduate and tomorrow night, we have our own celebration," Rane said. "A real one."

"With real drinks," Kyle added.

Dani smiled at her friends. Saying goodbye to them would be difficult. None of them had been given the same assignments. Rane would go to the _Grissom_, while Kyle was going to Starbase 123. Dani would be going to Deep Space Nine. It wasn't the _Enterprise_, as she'd hoped, but it was a good post. It meant, though, that Dani's relationship with Will would remain a long-distance one. She looked across the room at him. He was currently chatting with a captain and an admiral, but he didn't miss her look. He looked at her and flashed her a smile. She smiled back before turning back to her Kyle and Rane.

This was all so bittersweet. Dani was ecstatic that she was about to graduate and become an officer. Her career in Starfleet was about to get off the ground. At the same time, she was going to have to leave these people who'd become two of her closest confidants in her time at the Academy.

Dani hated having to do this. While she hadn't had a high school graduation and hadn't had to go through that ordeal, she'd gone through a similar experience when _Voyager_ had returned to the Alpha Quadrant and she'd had to leave the friends she'd made there. And here she was having to do it all over again.

"I can just imagine some of these admirals at a real party," Kyle said. "They probably wouldn't be such tight-asses if they'd get a little booze in them."

Xxx

Will looked up from his conversation with Admiral Davies and Captain Chang and looked across the room at Dani. Obviously, she found something very funny. She was laughing hard and trying her best to hide it. Will smiled. He was going to have to get her to-

Will's smile fell immediately. Dani's hand rested squarely on the chest of the man standing beside her. He watched as the Bajoran who'd been standing with them moved off, leaving the two alone. The man placed his hands on Dani's arms and leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. He then whispered something in her ear after which Dani hugged him.

It all could've been innocent, and Will would've passed it off as such if it weren't for the rumors he'd been hearing around the _Enterprise_ lately. He and Dani had talked about it, and she'd denied that there was anything going on between her and any of her classmates. But, then again, the look that he'd just seen her give that man, that wasn't just a look between friends - or was it?

He wanted to believe Dani. He wanted to with all his might, but could so many people really be lying? He wasn't kidding when he said he'd heard it all over the ship. Literally just about everywhere he went on the _Enterprise_, there was some ensign who'd recently graduated telling someone else about what he or she had seen Dani do and who he or she had seen Dani with. And now, this ambiguous evidence presented itself before him. Was Dani - _his_ Dani - cheating on him?

Xxx

"You said that you would never intentionally do anything to hurt me," Dani said heatedly. "Don't you think the same goes for me, too? I would never ever do anything to hurt you, Will."

"Then, you and I must have different guidelines on what hurts and what doesn't," Will said. "When I find out that you're seeing other people on the side, playing me for a fool, that hurts."

"For the gazillionth time, I'm not seeing anyone else. You're the only one." Dani could tell by the way Will looked off to the side that he didn't believe her. She had no idea where all these accusations were coming from. Just this afternoon, they'd both been at the reception, and things had seemed fine. She thought they'd resolved this issue the first hundred times they'd discussed it. Obviously she was wrong. "Just where are you getting your information, anyway?"

"It's everywhere. Everyone knew - except me."

"There was nothing to know!"

"Every time we get new ensigns fresh from the Academy, I have to hear all the latest gossip about who 'the Commander's girl' was last seen with."

"Will, you should know, better than anyone, that rumors fly around this place like crazy. And besides, nobody forced you to listen."

"Dani, I saw you this afternoon," Will revealed.

"What?" Dani asked. "Of course, you saw me. I saw you, too. We both saw each other."

"No," Will said. "I mean with the blonde man. I saw the way you were with him."

"You mean Kyle. Will, you're mistaken. Kyle is a friend. A very good friend."

"Yes, I can see that he is," Will said coldly.

Dani didn't appreciate his tone. "Will, tomorrow, I'm going to graduate, and I'm never going to see him or any of my other friends again. What you saw was nothing outside of what any other two people in our situation would do." She couldn't believe he was trying to make this into something that it wasn't. It was like he was looking for her to cheat on him.

She'd always thought they had a solid relationship. That he didn't have more faith in her, more trust...it hurt.

Dani walked over to the couch and sat down, burying her head in her hands. "This isn't working," she muttered.

"What?"

She looked up at him. "This - us. It isn't working. Over the past six months, every time we've met, we've ended up fighting about the same thing." She laughed. "I can't believe this - you're actually accusing me of being unfaithful."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Will asked, somewhat defensively.

"It means that you're the one with the track record for this sort of thing."

"Ahh, so you were expecting _me_ to be unfaithful, then?"

"Well, when that's all you're hearing from everyone..." Dani trailed. "And it's not any different from what you were expecting of me. You were expecting me to cheat, too, weren't you?"

"Guess you know how it feels, now," Will stabbed. He regretted the moment he said it. It was a low blow, and he knew it.

'Ouch,' Dani thought. That had hurt. Dani stood. Glaring at Will, she made her way to the door. Her hand was on the button to open it when Will spoke.

"Run away," he began. "Is that what they've taught you at the Academy?"

Dani turned. "What do you want me to do? Just sit here and argue with you? Sorry. I can't do this every time we see each other. I've got better things to do with my life." She turned back to the door preparing to open it once again.

"You know, you're right," Will said. Dani, once again, hesitated before leaving. She wanted to hear what he had to say. "I did make a mistake." Dani almost turned back around to him. Will's better judgment told him he should stop, but he ignored it and continued anyway. "But the mistake wasn't today; it was four years ago. The mistake was ever getting involved with someone as young and irresponsible as you."

Dani almost burst into tears right then and there, but she willed her self to maintain her composure. Instead she turned and looked at Will.

Dani's eyes stabbed Will, right through the heart, and he immediately regretted everything he'd said. "I'm sorry you feel that way," Dani told him quietly before turning back to the door. She opened it and walked out.

He sat down on the couch in the hotel room he'd booked for the purpose of attending Dani's graduation activities. He felt like he didn't know what to do next. Had he just ruined a relationship he'd had with a wonderful woman. How he wished he had listened to his better judgment and just shut his mouth. Now, he'd messed up - bad. And he didn't know how, or if, he could do anything to fix what had gone wrong.


	9. Party Time

**Chapter 9: Party Time**

That had been yesterday. Just like that, four years had been washed down the drain. Dani wanted to cry, but she didn't want to give Will the satisfaction of seeing that he had made her cry.

Everyone listened to Rear Admiral Camden as he spoke.

"And now, I'd like to present to you a group of cadets who have more than excelled in the areas of leadership, scholarship, and command. These students have proven that they have what it takes to lead others successfully. These Academy graduates are not only at the top of their class, but also Command School graduates. Cadets - as I call your name, please step forward." And he started announcing the names of the command school graduates. It didn't take him long to call out the names. Out of the class of 300, only fifty had applied to command school. Out of fifty applicants, only 23 were accepted. Out of 23, only 10 completed the program successfully.

The admiral made it to Dani's name, which was number five on the list.

"...Cadet Danielle Janeway..." Camden announced.

Will had been watching Dani even before she stepped forward to take her place with the other command school graduates. He couldn't believe that she'd walked out on him just the night before. He'd wanted to cry then, and he wanted to cry now, but he didn't want to give her the satisfaction of seeing him cry. He had always been close to Dani, even before _Voyager_ had been stranded in the Delta Quadrant. But they'd grown even closer over the past four years. Joined at the hip almost...

Xxx

"Dani, where are my boots?" Will asked. He was running around his quarters frantically searching for his uniform boots. He was to attend a diplomatic function in twenty minutes, and he couldn't find his boots.

Dani, who had dressed at Will's, was attending as Will's date. Right now, she was putting her earrings in. From the bathroom, she yelled, "They're in the closet."

Will searched the closet frantically but didn't see them anywhere. "Where?" he yelled. "I don't see them? Are you sure they're here?"

Dani put her second earring in. "I put them there myself," she said. He is so clueless, she thought. "Check the floor, the right side."

Will looked on the floor of the right side of the closet and, surely enough, found his boots neatly waiting to be worn. He picked them up and then sat down on his bed. It was only when he went to pull his boots on that he realized he wasn't wearing any socks. He looked over the bed. They weren't lying out anywhere.

"Dani-" Before he could even ask, she was out of the bathroom - and she had socks with her. She walked over to him.

"Here," she said, handing him one of the socks. The other in hand, she bent down and socked his bare foot. She picked up the corresponding boot and slid his foot into it. Standing up, she said, "There."

Will stood, now completely dressed.

"Are you ready?" Dani asked, inspecting Will's dress uniform. She absently straightened the jacket and brushed imaginary dust from his shoulders.

"Do I look alright?" Will asked.

"You look fine," Dani said.

Will looked at Dani. Instead of a dress uniform, which she wasn't obligated to wear because she was not yet an officer, wore a long, sleeveless, royal blue gown. "And you look gorgeous."

"Thank you."

"Maybe we should just blow off this party and stay in tonight," Will suggested, moving in on Dani. She stopped his advance with her hand.

"No way. You're not missing this and getting into trouble because of me."

"So by-the-book. Starfleet Academy is doing something to you." Will smiled. "Let's go. We're going to be late."

Xxx

Dani and Will walked into the Zikonian ballroom arm-in-arm. Neither of them had expected quite so many people to be in attendance at a diplomatic function, such as a dinner, but maybe diplomatic dinners were a big deal on this planet. Or in this city, at least.

"I hate these things," Will whispered to Dani, as he and she walked through the large room.

Dani's smile seemed frozen on her face as she whispered his reply. "Don't worry - it's only a few hours."

A man whom Dani and Will both took to be a waiter approached them. "Beverage?"

Dani and Will each picked up a glass. Will nodded slightly to the waiter. After the waiter left, Will said, "At least they give us something to make it through the night with." He took a sip. "Not bad."

Dani took a sip, as well. "Alcoholic?" she asked.

"I think so. Whatever it is, it's strong and highly potent. I'm already getting a bit of a buzz."

"Yeah, me too."

"I think that's enough of whatever this is," Will said. He dreaded the thought of what could happen if he and Dani happened to get drunk on this occasion. Dani handed him her glass, and he deposited both on a passing waiter's tray.

"Will?"

Will turned at the call of his name. Captain Picard was making his way toward him and Dani. A Zikonian diplomat was with him.

"Will - I'd like you to meet the Zikonian chancellor, Litus Spar," Picard introduced. "Chancellor Spar, this is my first officer, Commander William T. Riker." Spar and Will shook hands.

"Pleased to meet you, Commander," Spar said.

"A pleasure," Will said.

Picard continued. "And from Starfleet Academy, Cadet Danielle Janeway."

"How do you do?" Spar greeted Dani, shaking her hand. Dani smiled and nodded.

"If you all would excuse me," Dani said. Will looked at her. She leaned into him and whispered, "I'll see you at dinner." Before Will could protest her departure, she was gone. She'd gone and left him to his own devices. He looked at the Zikonian chancellor and pasted a smile on.

Xxx

At dinner, 30 minutes later, Dani rejoined Will at a large table.

"That was dirty," Will said to Dani, as they sat.

"I never agreed to stay with you the entire night," Dani said. Will looked at her. "Besides, you did pretty well without me, didn't you?"

"I would've done much better with you by my side," Will said. "You're more of a diplomat than I am."

"Really? That's news to me."

Xxx

Will rolled onto his back, taking Dani with him. They had returned to the ship from the Zikonian diplomatic dinner over an hour ago. Dani now sat atop Will, kissing him. His fingers were immersed in her long, dark tresses.

Dani sat up and leaned back down again to rest her head on Will's bare chest.

"Marry me, Dani," Will said.

"I will," she said. "I already said I would."

"No. I mean sooner. Now."

Dani sat up. "What's the big hurry? It's not like I'm going anywhere. Are you?"

"I just don't want some younger guy to take you away."

"I don't want a younger guy - I want you." She once again place her head on Will's chest. "You know you're the only captain of my ship."

"Yeah. For now."

Dani sat up again. "What does that mean?"

"In a few years, when I'm in my fifties, will you still feel that way?"

"What about when I'm in my fifties? Are you sure you won't want someone younger?"

"When you hit fifty, I'll be in my...let's just say I'll be pretty damn old. I'll be lucky to have anyone."

"I believe that when you love a person, you never stop loving them, no matter what happens. No matter if they've sprouted a few gray hairs here and there, or they've formed a few wrinkles, or put on a little weight - you always love that person." Dani leaned down so that her face was close to Will's. "I love you, Will."

"I love you," Will replied. Dani kissed him.

Xxx

That had only been a year before. Only a year. Will believed what Dani had said, about loving someone forever. He still loved her, and he knew that she still loved him. But sometimes, love just wasn't enough.

Will looked down at the field.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the graduating class of Starfleet Academy," Camden said. "Cadets - Atten-tion!" The cadets snapped to attention. "Each of you entered this Academy cadets, and now each of you shall leave as Starfleet Ensigns. By the power invested in me by the United Federation of Planets and by Starfleet, I now proclaim you graduated."

The audience members stood and clapped and cheered. It had been a long road, but they had finally made it. Another chapter of Dani's life was coming to a close. Despite the new ensigns' efforts to maintain straight faces, many of them broke into smiles. But Dani wasn't smiling this day.

It was the night of graduation. The general sentiment among the Academy graduates was that everyone was entitled to have a good time after working their asses off for however many years it took them to get through the program. If that just happened to involve getting drunk, so be it. And for Dani Janeway, on this particular night, it meant exactly that.

Xxx

'I've made it through the Academy,' Dani thought. Through command school, Emma Shale...Nimembeh. 'I deserve to kick back and have some fun for once.' She kicked back the last of her first bottle of Romulan Ale. Dani Janeway was now officially drunk.

"Way to go, Dani!" Kyle said. Their whole little group was at one of the many parties sure to be taking place around San Francisco that night. "I knew you had it in you," Kyle continued. He offered her another bottle of ale, but she promptly refused.

"No," she said. "But keep it handy in case my buzz starts to wear off." She and Kyle were shouting over loud music, and her speech had the tiniest hint of a slur in it.

"Now that's what I'm talking about," Kyle said. He was proud. Dani had finally learned how to drink.

Dani retreated to a balcony outside the apartment. Rane followed. "Dani?"

Dani turned and watched Rane approach her. "Hi," she said.

"Are you okay?" Rane asked.

"Of course," Dani replied. "Why shouldn't I be?"

Rane studied her drunk friend for a moment. "I don't know. You just seem sort of down for a person who just graduated from the Academy - and command school - at the top of your class. You should be one of the ones having the most fun."

Besides Emery, Dani hadn't told anyone at the Academy about her and Will. Now, she decided, was as good a time as any.

"Will and I broke up," she said.

Rane couldn't believe her ears. "When?"

"A few days ago," Dani said.

"I'm sorry," Rane said. She noted that Dani seemed awfully calm about having ended a four-year long relationship with a guy she'd been crazy about and who'd been crazy about her.

"It's okay," Dani looked at Rane. "It was good while it lasted."

Someone inside the apartment announced, "It's time for Suck and Blow!"

Dani looked at Rane and smiled. "Come on - we don't want to miss all the fun, do we?" She went back into the apartment with Rane following close behind.

Xxx

Will stood, in dress uniform, in the middle of the Academy ballroom talking with a group of professors. One really couldn't call it talking, though. Will was mostly listening. No, he wasn't really doing that, either. His mind was elsewhere that night. It was the night of the Academy graduation, and Will was attending Starfleet's annual gala to commemorate the event.

Will realized that one of the professors had addressed him. Will did little more than nod and offer a fake smile.

"Would you gentlemen excuse me please?" Will said, excusing himself from the group. As he walked away, he took a drink from his glass. That was when he noticed that the color of the drink was the same color as Dani's eyes. He quickly found that he was unable to down the rest of the beverage, and deposited it on a nearby table.

I should be with her, tonight, Will thought. I should be with her right now, celebrating her arrival on the Enterprise.

Instead, he was sulking because they'd broken up-and because Dani was going to Deep Space Nine instead of the Enterprise. Because he'd been a fool. He sighed and wondered what she was doing at this very moment.

Xxx

At the party, Dani was lying face down on somebody's bed. She giggled for the fourth time in two minutes.

"If you don't stop moving, this isn't going to look right," Khatain said.

"I can't help it," Dani said. "It tickles." She buried her head in a pillow as she felt another wave of giggles coming over her. The Klingon shook his head and continued with his work.

Dani lifted her head once the giggles had passed. "Khatain, how much longer will this take?" she whined.

"I am almost done," the Klingon said. "If you didn't want it so detailed, I would have been done eons ago."

"It has to be detailed. Any other way wouldn't be right." Dani rested her head on the pillow once again.

"I can't believe you're actually doing this," Rane said. She was seated in a chair beside the bed.

"Why?" Dani asked. "My father did it."

"Your father did it for a reason."

"And I'm not?"

"You're drunk."

"I am not," Dani argued. She lifted her head and realized that the room was suddenly spinning. "Okay, maybe I am." She lowered her head onto the pillow again. "But I know what I'm doing. I've always wanted to get the mark of my father's people."

"Yeah, but on you a-"

"-Back!" Dani interrupted. "It's my lower back."

"There," Khatain said. "It is complete." Dani looked up at Khatain. She hopped out of the bed and hurried over to the nearest mirror, which was mounted beside the closet. She turned around so that her back was facing the mirror. Looking over her shoulder, into the mirror, she spotted the symbol on her lower back. It was the same triangular-shaped symbol that appeared on her father's forehead

above his left eye.

"Is it satisfactory?" Khatain asked.

A smile slowly appeared on Dani's face. "It's perfect," she said. Khatain handed the necklace he had used to draw the design back to Dani. Dani turned around and looked at herself in the mirror frontally. She looked at the charm she was holding and back at herself again. She was ready to start over again. It seemed that her life, so far, had been a series of new beginnings. _Voyager_, the

Academy, Will...and now Deep Space Nine.

"Deep Space Nine, here I come," Dani muttered.


End file.
